Daydreams
by Joline.The.Machine
Summary: "Do you miss…the way it was when we lived with the curse?" \  Kyo/Tohru \  PG up to NC-17 \ We'll see where the plot goes!  Please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Daydreams**

**Chapter One**

** It **had been several years since the curse had been lifted, and things could not have been any better. Day by day, things started to improve and relationships blossomed. Tohru watched as Kyo slowly started to come out of his shell, and she witnessed the way he grew to become a strong man with compassion and a heart of gold. His temper was still there, of course, and it was actually comforting to the young woman. She sat on the porch of their small dojo near the mountains, listening to the wind chime sound musically above her head. Cradled in her hand was a small glass cup steaming with fresh tea. She smiled as a breeze blew by, and she closed her eyes. The peace and quiet of the early afternoon was very enjoyable, and it helped her to relax for a short while.

As usual, Tohru kept herself busy with chores about the dojo and their quaint home. She woke when Kyo did, just after the sun crept over the mountaintops, and she cooked breakfast for them. While she cooked, Kyo trekked along the mountainside, keeping himself in prime shape and maintaining his discipline. When he returned, they ate together and enjoyed each other's company. Afterward, Kyo trained with a master of his own in their dojo while Tohru swept, mopped, dusted, ironed, washed, and tidied up. When lunch arrived, she fed both Kyo and his master if his master stayed, and Kyo would rest before he taught his own evening classes. It kept them supported, kept their dojo running and a roof over their heads. Their routine was very comfortable, and Tohru was happy. She was happy just to see Kyo happy.

Be that as it may, though, Tohru did have one minor complaint. After high school, she and Kyo had moved to the mountains where they worked for and eventually inherited a dojo to further Kyo's training. She had refused to leave his side, had wanted to accompany him, and she never once regretted it. Uo and Hana were so far away with the rest of the Sohma family, though, that it made her sad at times. But when she opened her eyes to glance over the rim of her teacup, the familiar figure and orange hair brought a smile to her face.

"Daydreaming again?" His smooth, deep voice rang like music in her ears, and he watched her nod. She was beautiful. She had been since the day they met, since the day he first laid eyes on the awkward, clumsy girl who flowered into a tall, picturesque beauty. Even after so many years with her, just her simple smile or the look in her eyes made butterflies flutter about in his stomach. It was something he never thought he'd ever experience, and in the middle of the night while Tohru slept, he often whispered to her how thankful and how lucky he was to have her.

"Just reminiscing," was her simple reply, and she extended a hand with slender fingers, curling them around Kyo's as she guided him to sit beside her. It was a rare day in their schedule that they had nothing planned. Kyo's master had phoned them to say that some business came up and he had to leave town for the week. It was a good break for Kyo, himself, and he had, in turn, instructed his students to stay home that evening. It had made Tohru grin from ear to ear when she heard that they had the night to spend just with each other.

"I understand. I think about home just as much as you do." It was true that, as much as Kyo hated admitting it, he did miss Shigure's simple, comfortable home. He missed the hustle and bustle of friends and family coming and going, the constant repairs needed after a fight between himself and Yuki, and the warm, delightful smells of Tohru's cooking from the kitchen as they waited for dinner. It brought back happy memories, and Kyo slipped a long, toned arm around her small back. "I received a letter from Shigure; did I show you, yet? It came just this morning."

Tohru shook her head and smiled at him when she heard Shigure had sent a letter to them. It was easy to pick up a phone and call, and Tohru enjoyed the calls she received from Shigure and several of the other family members from time to time. However, a letter seemed to hold much more value; Shigure took the time to sit and write to them. Granted, he had been a novelist for quite a long time but had stopped years before. "What did it say? How are things at home?"

Kyo reached into his pockets and then hummed. "I must have left it inside; I'm pretty sweaty, anyway. Shigure said things are good at home, and he's really happy and comfortable to be living in the Sohma house again. He also said that Akito is doing much better than she had been when we left." He turned to Tohru as he stood again, helping her to her feet and kissing her forehead.

Tohru smiled. "That's nice to hear. We should visit them soon. It may be nice to see them again and see how everyone is." She carried her cup into the kitchen and washed it, setting it on the counter to dry before she wandered toward the door where Kyo was standing. He was looking through the mail he'd left on the small hallway table, and he released a sound of achievement when he found the beige colored envelope.

"Here, you can read it," he smiled, and he slipped it into her hands. "I'm going to go shower, though. I don't want to smell bad. What are you making for lunch?"

Tohru happily accepted the letter and nodded, looking up at him as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I was going to make soup and sandwiches. I thought we could have an early dinner instead of lunch…since we have the evening to ourselves."

Kyo's eyes darkened at the sound of those words, and he leaned down to kiss her softly. "That sounds like a good idea," he whispered, smiling at her before he turned and wandered down the hallway toward their room. She laughed when she saw that look, and she shook her head. Turning back into the kitchen, she sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. Unfolding the envelope she quietly read the letter.

_Dear Kyo and Tohru,_

_ I know I call every month, but I wanted to personally write to you this time. Things are well, here, but you are missed. I tell you that every month, though. Anyway, Akito is doing well. She is happier than she was, though sometimes it is hard to console her when she has nightmares or when Ren steps in. I stay close, though, which makes Akito feel better. She really does have a good heart, but growing up in the Sohma house like that confused her. I'm happy that things are finally better._

_ I'll get to the point, though. Everyone misses Kyo and Tohru so much, especially Kisa and Momiji. Of course, Yuki misses you, too, but he's finishing up his degree at college. We wanted to invite you to visit for a couple days, and we would be very happy if you accepted the offer. Yuki will be coming home for the spring holidays in just two weeks, so we thought it would be a nice time for you to come. _

_ Also, when are you getting married? I have so many plans for your wedding, and you know that Ayame is adamant that he design Tohru's dress! _

_ Love,_

_ Shigure_

Tohru giggled and folded the letter back into the envelope. Standing, she reached for her favorite apron and slipped it over her neck and tied it behind her back. She had made the soup the night before and left it to cool in the fridge, so she pulled it out and set it on the stove to heat. While it was warming once again, she began making sandwiches. She could hear Kyo moving around in their bedroom which meant that he was done his shower and would be arriving in the kitchen very shortly.

Her assumption came true when Kyo entered the room not five minutes later, and he slipped behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. "You smell nice," she said with a soft laugh, concentrating on slicing the tomatoes neatly and without harming herself. "Do you feel better?" "Much," was Kyo's reply as he rested his chin on her shoulder, watching her hands curiously. He had always enjoyed watching Tohru cook, and while he held her, he laid soft little kisses along the curve of her neck. "Did you read it?"

Tohru nodded her head, her bangs swaying with her movement, and she placed two tomato slices on each sandwich. "Of course I did. I'm glad to hear that Akito is happy now that she has Shigure at her side for the majority of the time."

Kyo made a little sound in the back of his throat, and he tightened his arms. She was so warm and soft against him, and the thought made him a bit sleepy. "He has to stay near to her or Ren might lose her temper. From what I've heard, when that happens, it's like Akito multiplied times five." He explained as if it were some everyday sort of thing. In reality, it had been. But that ended when the curse broke. "When do you want to leave?"

The smile that rounded her cheeks as it pulled upward at the corners was signal enough to Kyo that she wanted to accept Shigure's offer. "As soon as you want to, I'll be ready. But not tonight." She said, turning around to face Kyo and leaning up to kiss the side of his mouth. "Thank you."

Kyo wrinkled his nose playfully at her, and he nodded his head. "You're the only reason I'm going, you know. I hate having to put up with that damn rat." He offered her a grin as two large, crystalline blue eyes glistened up at him. He couldn't refuse her anything, and he found himself unable to stay angry with her if she ever frustrated him. It was rare, but it happened, of course. They were human, after all; they were normal.

"And Kagura, I'm sure," she returned to fixing their sandwiches with a laugh, and she heard Kyo groan. "You know she'll just be happy to see you, Kyo. She's long since accepted the fact that you don't love her."

Kyo remembered the day he told Kagura that he didn't and couldn't love her the way she wanted. He did care for the girl, but since the day Tohru ran after him instead of away from him when he transformed into that creature he was cursed with, he knew it was only her. It was only Tohru. It would always only ever be Tohru. He moved over to lean against the counter beside her, and he watched her quietly.

"Do you miss those days, Tohru?" He inquired, crossing his arms over his chest. She was such a perfectionist when it came to the food she made that it made him laugh. She lined up the slices of bread perfectly and cut a straight line down the center so both halves were equal. "Do you miss…the way it was when we lived with the curse?"

Tohru finished the sandwiches and carried the plates to the table before she reached for the bowls and scooped soup into each. She hummed, letting Kyo know she was considering his question while she set the bowls on the table by the sandwiches. "I miss the way it felt living with you, Yuki, and Shigure. I miss making breakfasts for everyone and eating together, and I miss the way it felt when I came home from work and everyone was waiting for me."

Kyo nodded, scuffing his socked foot against the cool kitchen floor for a moment. "It was a big part of our lives." He said softly, and he shifted again, turning to face her as she reached into the refrigerator to pour drinks.

"But," she began, smiling at him. "I wouldn't change anything to go back. I'm happier now than I've ever been, Kyo." She sat down, then, and waved him over to sit with her. She was surprised, though, when she felt a large hand slide into her hair and arms pull her across the mat they knelt on into his embrace.

"That's what makes me happy." He said, touching her cheek lightly as she looked up at him. When she smiled, he leaned down to kiss her. When he pulled back, he had to laugh because she grabbed him again to continue their kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

3

**Chapter Two**

When Tohru opened her eyes the next morning, she rubbed one with the back of her hand before a yawn overcame her and she stretched a bit. Half beneath her was Kyo's long, solid body. The fact alone made her smile, and she let her eyes close once again as she pressed her cheek to the curve of his pectoral muscle. Cradled in his arm, her legs tangled in his, she felt safe and content. She'd often thought that if she were to choose where she was to die, it would be right there in Kyo's embrace. She could tell that he was awake; his breathing wasn't deep and slow like it was when he slept. However, she didn't say much. She just rested there against him and enjoyed the slow morning.

Kyo's hand was occupied with slipping his fingers through her hair, untangling any small knots he came upon, and making sure she was covered with the blankets. She was constantly cold, but he blamed that on the fact that she was so small and skinny. Of course, it was just a front; he liked that she was easily cold. He even confessed to her at one point that it was just another excuse for him to wrap his arms around her to warm her up. She had laughed when he told her, and she kissed him the way she kissed him every morning and every night.

The night before, they had spent several hours talking about what they were going to do regarding their trip back to the Sohma house. They'd made a few phone calls, including one to Shigure to let him know that they would be accepting his offer and when they planned to arrive. Though Shigure had moved back to the Sohma house, he had continued to make sure his own single home was well kept and up to date. Yuki used it most of the time when he was home from school, but since there wasn't a great amount of room in the large Sohma house, Kyo and Tohru would be staying with Yuki. Tohru had giggled herself to tears when Kyo yelled at Shigure over the phone about having to room with _the damn rat_ again, and though Kyo had turned and yelled at her to stop laughing because he wasn't amused, it only made her laugh harder.

They had grown so much since they'd left after high school, but no matter what they did, they still were the same people they were when they had lived together with Shigure and Yuki. Hearing Kyo argue with Shigure on the phone only made Tohru happy, and as much as she hated saying it, she looked forward to hearing Yuki and Kyo argue again. It would be similar to the way it had been before she and Kyo left.

The couple also made arrangements to postpone some martial arts lessons while Kyo was away, and he'd spoken with his own master as well. He would continue his training while they were visiting the family, and he would resume it the day after they returned. He had become a great deal more disciplined when it came to his schedules, routines, and even his temper. Of course, dealing with Shigure and Yuki was a completely different situation.

Tohru, herself, had made arrangements with one of the mothers of Kyo's students to make sure the house was checked on while they were away. She knew it would be their luck that something would happen while they were gone. She remembered the landslide that had covered her tent, buried it in dirt, before she came to live with the Sohmas. The thought made her shiver, and she had quickly shaken it from her mind.

After they had finished their arrangements, Tohru decided that there was no need for them to bother and make the dining and relaxing area of their small home messy. She'd stood, cleaned the dishes from dinner just an hour beforehand, and then she had given Kyo a look the orange haired man couldn't resist. He knew what it had meant, and before she could have spoken another word to him, he'd swept her into his arms and carried her down the hallway.

Now, he watched as she slowly woke from her deep sleep, rubbing her eyes and readjusting herself on his shoulder. It brought a bit of a smile to his face, and he pressed his lips to her forehead while he played with her hair. She was warm and smelled so nice, even after their night together. He often wondered if she regretted not waiting, and the thought only came to his mind when her hand curled against his chest and he saw her bare ring finger. He had always assumed she was a girl who'd wanted to wait for her wedding night, who wanted to be sure she was with the right person, before she gave that part of herself away. When he breached the topic with her, she'd merely given him one of her perfect smiles and told him she didn't need to wait because she already knew.

He had wondered, of course, why she knew that it was him she was supposed to be with. His own insecurities and fears played at the edges of his mind, whispered to him that he wasn't good enough for her or that he didn't deserve her. But when she opened her large eyes and looked at him, it was as if every bad thought he'd ever had disappeared. She seemed to just make all the bad in his life evaporate.

When she finally did open her eyes again, lifting them up to look at Kyo, he curled his hand around hers. "I think we lucked out this weekend," he whispered to her, and he gave her a soft smile. "Classes were canceled yesterday, and we don't do classes on Sundays."

She nodded her head, and she slipped her hand around Kyo's back so she could hold him more contently. "I think so," she said, and when Kyo slid his hand down her back, pressing into the tight, strong muscles there, she mewled.

He rested his head on the pillow, and he tightened his embrace around her. "How do you feel?" He hadn't wanted her to feel anything less than wonderful, and as a result, he often worried over her more than he needed to. In response to his question, she rubbed her face against his chest some more and let out a slow, soft sigh. "I'll take that as you're feeling very good."

Before she was able to reply, a clap of thunder rolled above the roof of their home, and it was followed by several flashes of lightning. It startled her, and that made her giggle, but she used it as a way to wiggle herself against Kyo some more. "Yes…I feel lovely." She rolled a bit so that she was more on top of Kyo than beside him, and she peeked over toward the window across the room.

"It's no wonder I couldn't bring myself to run this morning," he murmured, looking toward the window, as well. "I think these thunderstorms are supposed to go on until tomorrow night." The thought wasn't one he liked all that much; he had a class to teach, but it was just so horrible to try to do so when all he wanted to do was lay in bed and rest. He did force himself to do it, and he couldn't get home fast enough when he did.

"Are you still going to teach tomorrow?" She wondered, looking down at him from where she laid on his chest. She really didn't want him to work, but they did need the money. Though she had a small degree in cooking, she had chosen to stay home and tend to the house and Kyo while he trained. She also acted as his secretary at times when it came to earning money from teaching his classes. They'd become quite a team together.

Kyo nodded his head in response to her question, and he slipped his hands up and down her arms. Her skin was like velvet under his touch, and her bare body against his own was something he never tired of. "I have to. If we're going to take off for a while to visit the house, I think it would be good to have some money coming in." He explained, watching her flinch lightly when another roll of thunder crashed.

"Well, I'll make sure to have a nice dinner cooking when you get home," she said, playing with the lobe of Kyo's ear before she leaned down to kiss him softly. "I was thinking leek stew."

Kyo glared at her while she played with her ear, and he glared hard enough that she burst into a fit of giggles and he had to catch her from rolling off of him. "You're horrible," he teased, unable to keep glaring at her. He wiped a happy tear from her eyelash and then kissed her again, nudging her to sit up. He wrapped her in the sheet so she wasn't bare, and he stood up to put his boxer shorts on. "I figure we'll stay inside today, if you'd like. We can make sure all the arrangements are set so we can leave for the house in a couple days, and then I was thinking we could order takeout tonight. I'll go pick it up."

Tohru slid the sheet around her as if she was wrapping herself in a bath towel, and she stood up to wander to the sliding door. Opening it, she gazed outside into the drizzly, gray morning. "I'll go with you," she said, looking over her shoulder at him. "We can get some groceries while we're out, but nothing that will spoil while we're gone."

Kyo crossed his arms after he'd pulled his favorite, worn out sweat pants over his shorts. He watched the way she looked standing in the doorframe, the rainy day in front of her, and her body bare except for the sheet. She'd grown into such a beautiful woman that he often found himself in another world when she wandered into his train of thoughts. "Well," he said, still gazing at her like it was the first time he'd ever seen her. "Then why don't we just make it a date and eat out at one of the restaurants in town?"

At the suggestion of a date, Tohru's eyes seemed to light up, sparkling as if the very sun was beaming on them. She turned around and nodded her head, giving him a smile. "I would love that!" Holding her sheet in a fist on her chest, she crossed the room again and gave him a soft kiss. "I love that you s till take me on dates."

He chuckled and nodded his head. "Why would I stop?" He asked, rubbing the back of her neck before he kissed her cheek. "It's not like I have any less feelings for you than I did the day we realized we needed to be together."

She grinned at him and nodded her head. "That's good. I might just have to pout at you otherwise." She said, and she let her sheet fall to the floor as she turned to make her way to the bathroom. "Why don't you go get your morning routine out of the way and I'll shower?" She suggested, and she gave him one of her smiles again. "Or…you could find another way to achieve all your morning extracurricular activities."

"You make that an extremely hard decision," was Kyo's reply, complete with a smirk, as he followed her to the bathroom door and nudged her inside.

Over the next few hours, they'd cleaned the house together, which was something that Tohru seemed to enjoy even if Kyo unintentionally made more of a mess than he cleaned. Afterward, she'd showed him all the arrangements she'd set into place with having the house checked on, with what they were going to do with the money that came in with his next check, and how she had purchased the train tickets for their transportation. He had had no argument at all, and he was very happy with everything she'd accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Afterward, she'd locked him out of their bedroom and refused to let him in until she gave him the word. He didn't understand why; it wasn't like he'd never seen her naked before, but she insisted. So, of course, he let her have her way, and he managed to get himself ready for their date in the living room. She had tossed him the clothes he'd picked out before shutting the door in his face and running off to the bathroom. It was the little things like that, though, that made Kyo remember how she used to be such a shy, clumsy girl who feared upsetting anyone. Now, she was a beautiful woman who found more pleasure in dropping subtle hints, practicing her sarcasm, and surprising Kyo whenever she possibly could.

That evening happened to be one full of her surprises, again. When she emerged from their bedroom, he was buttoning the buttons at the middle of his shirt. He stopped in his tracks, and he stared at her with his mouth slightly open. She stood almost shyly in the hallway wearing a black, just-above-the-knee length skirt with a simple white blouse that accentuated her curves and fell in lightly puffed sleeves just over her shoulders. Her hair was down, but she had put some curl into the ends that framed her face and in the back, and she carried a pair of simple black shoes in her hand. It was along the clothes that she liked to wear most of the time, but it never seemed to stop taking Kyo's breath away.

"You look beautiful," he said, moving across the room to kiss her forehead, touching her cheek with his hand. "Now I see why you refused to let me in."

She laughed and turned her cheek into his palm before he pulled it away to finish buttoning his shirt. "No," she said, then, and stopped him. "I like the top few unbuttoned. Leave it like that." She couldn't help it; she loved the sight of Kyo's upper chest and his collarbones. It was one of those things that made her weak in the knees, and since he was taking her on a date tonight, she thought it would be nice to be able to see it. It wasn't very often they dressed in such a way for dinner, but after they'd decided on a date, he thought it best to take her somewhere special.

"Okay, I'll leave the top few open for you," he said. "Just let me get my shoes, and we'll go. Do you have an umbrella? I don't want you to get soaked and get a cold." He said, reaching down to grab his shoes and then making sure his wallet was in his pocket.

"Yes, the umbrella is by the door with our coats." She moved, then, to the kitchen where she slipped into her sweater and held Kyo's for him. As much as he hated the rain, he was taking her out in it to go on a date, and she didn't want him to get sick, either. They'd both be in a pickle if that happened. When he followed her, she helped him into his coat and then reached for the umbrella, holding her purse close to her side so that they could share it. Kyo took it, holding it above their heads while he shut and locked the door behind them.

The walk into town wasn't very long, but with the rain, it seemed a great deal longer. Eventually, though, they made it, surprised that they were mostly dry. Their first stop was to the restaurant, a sweet, traditional Japanese style eatery complimented by dim lights and private dining areas that required their shoes to be removed before they were set with tea and the doors around their booth closed. It was romantic, and Kyo normally only took her to such a place on special days like their birthdays or the anniversary of the day the zodiac curse was broken.

It seemed as though something was different now. Kyo wasn't exactly able to put his finger on it, but when they sat together at the table, while he watched the way Tohru poured their tea and listened to how she spoke, whatever that new discovery was started to creep up his spine. He wasn't afraid of it, though; he just wasn't sure what it was.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Momiji and Hatsuharu, as well as the others like Kisa and Hatori, too. I know Shigure and Yuki are going to be happy to see us again…well, maybe except for Yuki. I know how the two of you love to fight so much," she said with a little giggle, successfully pulling Kyo from his thoughts. "Are you looking forward to it, Kyo?"

Kyo watched the way she folded her hand backwards and rested her chin in her palm, leaning on the low table at their waists as she listened for his reply. He watched the way her fingers curled beneath her smile, and it was then that he realized what was missing. Of course, the thought itself set his stomach to turn itself over; he had never thought he'd ever feel this way about _that_ before. But when she called his name again, the thought flitted from his mind and he turned his attention back to her eyes.

"Oh…sorry. You know how I get on rainy days like this," he said with a small yawn, and then he nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I am looking forward to it. I am going to enjoy being back at the old house, but I'm not excited about seeing that damn Yuki again."

She laughed and nodded her head, as well. "I think you secretly love him, even if you don't want to admit it.

"Love him?" Kyo exclaimed, rather dumbfounded that she'd say such a thing. But her beaming smile and resounding laugh was enough to calm him again. "You really are horrible," he smiled. "Just like with your leeks."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So what do you think so far? Slowly, a plot is emerging. Even I, myself, am not sure where it is going, but it is steadily showing itself. I've been trying to make this story as realistic as possible while staying true to the original storyline. I don't like stories that go so off the charts without being labeled AU, so I'm hoping that is coming across.

I've really been enjoying writing this, and I hope you're enjoying it, as well. So please, tell me what you think. I'd also be curious as to hear any theories you may have as to where this may go or what you'd like to see. It may help spur some of my own thoughts to come to mind. – Joline .The. Machine


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

When Tohru woke on the morning they were taking the train home, Kyo was not beside her. She rolled over onto his side of their bed, and she sighed. It was cold, and that meant that Kyo had been awake and out of bed for quite a while. She sat up, and she pulled the tie from her hair to let it fall around her shoulders. She noticed the small note next to their bed, then, and she reached for it.

_Tohru,_

_ I'm going for a run this morning. I'm packed and ready to go. I'll be home shortly, and we'll leave as soon as I change. I know you like to get up with me, but I wanted you to rest. See you soon._

_Kyo_

It was sweet of him to leave her a note, and she crawled out of bed to put it with the other notes he'd written her. She kept them in a shoebox in the closet, and he knew they were there. After she'd made their bed and showered, she headed into the kitchen to start breakfast. As much as she knew Kyo would protest when he returned—they did have a train to catch—she knew he'd enjoy something warm and light to eat.

When he did return, she had finished breakfast and cleaned the dishes used to make it, and he, of course, gave her a bit of a fit. She'd laughed and told him to shut up, sit down, and eat. He did, and he eventually muttered a thank you before kissing her. She watched him run off to shower and change, and while she waited for him, she cleaned the kitchen again. It was like a typical, run-of-the-mill kind of day for them. Even the excited butterflies in her stomach were pretty normal—she'd never gone one day without feeling them when Kyo was around.

The excitement was also there because they were going home. _Home_. Yes, their little house in the mountains near the dojo was absolutely perfect, and it was home, but it wasn't the home that she found herself aching for on nights when she couldn't sleep. It wasn't the same home that was there in her dreams or the one she thought of when she had nightmares. Though she knew she'd be at home wherever Kyo was, there were so many memories at that house in the woods that she couldn't ever let it go.

Tohru was eager to see everyone again. There were too many to list at once, and she knew that as soon as they were home, there would be many reunions. That, alone, was part of the reason she and Kyo were leaving earlier than Shigure had suggested. Since they'd be staying in Shigure's old home, they knew they could arrive quietly. Yuki was away at the University for another week, so Kyo and Tohru would have the whole house to themselves. She planned to make several dinners to store in the refrigerator, and that way she could spend time with their friends and family. Hana and Uo didn't know she was coming to visit, either, so she was excited about surprising them.

Kyo carried his bags through the kitchen and toward the front door, sitting them down by their shoes. Her bags were already there, as they had been, since he came home from his run. He slipped his coat on, and he pulled hers from the hook. "Are you ready?" He asked, watching the way she wandered about the kitchen to make sure everything was turned off and in its place. When she nodded, he held her coat out so she could slip into it.

"I'm ready. I'm excited." She buttoned her coat and then stretched her arm to reach for her hat but laughed when it was plopped down on her head. "Thank you," she said, adjusting it, before she fixed her hair and reached for her bags. When they were ready to go, Kyo turned out the lights and then let her out ahead of him so he could lock the door.

"And we're off," he smiled, kissing her temple, and laughing when she scrunched her nose at him.

-:-:-

Shigure lifted his chin as he felt a fresh breeze of air make its way toward him. He sighed and glanced toward the half-open sliding door behind him. Just inside, Akito lay asleep, bundled beneath her blankets on their bed. It made him smile, and he sipped the rest of his tea before he carried the stone cup inside. He and Akito had long since smoothed things out in their relationship, and he was very relieved that things were going well now. Akito had had a great deal of insecurity in the beginning, especially when it came to where Shigure's loyalty had lain. There had been arguments long into the night over what happened in the Sohma house while Shigure lived elsewhere, and of course, using Kureno against Akito was never a fantastic idea. He had to, though, and in the end, Akito cried.

Shigure wasn't used to Akito crying; he was used to Akito's anger exploding in situations like that. However, he'd apologized and cradled her into his arms. To his surprise, her tears subsided, and she, too, apologized to him. That night, their relationship finally became solid and stable. Akito had also accepted Tohru into the family, and she seemed just as excited to see Tohru as the rest of the family was.

Leaning down to brush Akito's bangs from her face, Shigure smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. She was still fragile with her health, and it was obvious how hard she pushed herself. Earlier that morning, she had insisted on accompanying Shigure to town to buy a few things for Kyo and Tohru's arrival. The weather, though, wasn't very good for her, and she had become exhausted by the time they returned to the house. Now, she was sound asleep, and Shigure was, as usual, by her side.

"They should be on their way now, Akito," he said quietly, his voice low so he wouldn't disturb her. Oftentimes, she fell asleep listening to him read his novels to her or other written works that he enjoyed. He knew she could hear him while she slept, so he tended to speak to her when he could. "I'm sure their train will arrive this evening. I promised Hatori and I would pick them up from the station, and I'd take you with me, but you might still be asleep!"

She stirred lightly, turning toward the sound of his voice and the touch of his hand, but she didn't wake. She was breathing soundly, and she was relaxed. It made Shigure feel better when he saw her that way and he leaned back to look out the door again. Winter would be approaching soon, and Shigure knew that was Akito's worst season. At the same token, he was happy that Tohru was visiting; he hoped she could teach him or someone in the house how to cook her soups in case Akito fell ill. Though he didn't cook much, Shigure did dabble here and there. As perverted as he was, he did fancy himself quite the romantic.

"'Gure?" Akito whispered, her large, dark eyes slowly opening only a bit so that she could find the familiar, large form of the male she'd grown to adore. "You stopped talking."

He chuckled, and he twirled a lock of her ebony hair about his finger. "Funny, I thought my talking would actually wake you. I didn't think being quiet would." He saw a faint smile appear on her lips, and he touched them with the tips of his fingers. "I was just saying that Tohru and Kyo should be arriving soon, and though I know you wanted to go with me and Hatori…I think you should stay here."

She nodded quietly and pulled the blankets to her chin. "When you talked on the phone with Kyo…didn't they say they would stop here first, anyway?"

Shigure nodded his head toward her, and he shifted to lie on his side, atop the blankets. "They did, and if they forgot, I'll make sure to bring them by for you." He smiled, and he let his hand move from her cheek to the side of her neck, slowly stroking it before he traced her collarbones. "But I don't believe they'll be arriving for at least another two hours."

Akito smiled wider then, and she slipped a hand out from beneath the blankets to twine with Shigure's. "Then you won't have to leave for a while. You can stay with me." She whispered, shifting so her blankets fell lower. She watched the way Shigure's eyes took her in, the way they followed every expanse of flesh that was revealed by the blankets and her clothes. She also knew he wouldn't act on it while she was in such a state, so she had to initiate it herself and draw him down to place a kiss on his lips. Of course, it earned her quite a happy response from the man she'd finally realized she'd fallen in love with.

-:-:-

When Kyo and Tohru finally arrived, Tohru was out of her seat before the train rolled to a complete stop. It made Kyo laugh, and he had to catch her when the train rocked back and she tumbled into his lap. She was still clumsy as ever, but it was a trait that Kyo adored. Together, they'd gathered their bags and wandered off of the train.

"It feels good to be back; even the air smells the same." She said with a laugh, and she followed Kyo down the platform and toward the area where the cars could pick people up from the station. She stayed close to him, not wanting to get lost in the sea of people coming and going, and she knew that he could see further than she could. They were looking for Shigure, but it wouldn't have surprised them if he were late. "Do you see him?"

"Not yet," was his reply, and he guided her out of the crowd of people to stand against a wall while they waited for him. "He was probably tending to Akito, as usual, so he's late. Or he forgot."

"Only Shigure," she giggled, and she sat down on a bench and stretched her legs out. "I sure hope he didn't forget us. It was, after all, his idea."

Kyo watched her as he leaned against the wall, and he chuckled. He crossed his arms over his chest, adjusting his jacket and sighing in the brisk air. "You know how he is, though. He gets his mind set on one thing and everything else disappears. Are you happy, though, Tohru?" He slipped a hand through her hair, making sure not to disturb her hat while he played with the long tresses.

She nodded in response, and she turned to look at him. "I'm very happy. I think it's good for you to get a break, too, from work and training. Besides…it's been so long since we've seen everyone. There's no reason we shouldn't have come."

"Kyo! Tohru!" Just down the way, Shigure was waving at the couple with a large smile on his face. He had finally found them after searching throughout the wrong end of the station, and he made his way toward them. "I'm sorry; I was on the wrong end."

Kyo scoffed at him and rolled his eyes. "What's new?" He asked, helping Tohru stand up before she tossed her arms around Shigure's neck. "Hands above the waist, you pervert."

Tohru giggled and squeezed Shigure's neck, holding him tightly. "It's so good to see you again, Shigure! You look great!" She said, resting her hands on his shoulders when he let her go to look at her. She looked the same way she had when she lived with them, just older now and more mature. He had always adored her smile, loving the way it seemed to brighten everything in the household and make even the worst of moods disappear.

"It's so good to have you back, Tohru. Oh, yeah, and Kyo, too. Nice of you to bring him along." Shigure teased, giving Tohru a bright smile.

"You stupid dog!" Kyo grunted, grabbing Tohru's bags and tossing his own at Shigure. "Stop being such a jerk and take us to the house; we've been standing here freezing waiting for you!"

"Alright, alright! Come on, then. Hatori's waiting with the car. Jeez, Kyo, we thought you might have calmed down and learned how to control your temple while training under waterfalls and fighting bears." Shigure hummed, giving Kyo a rather disappointed look.

"I wasn't fighting bears! Oh my God, it was such a bad idea to come back here!"

Tohru followed closely, staying right by Kyo's side and covering her mouth as she laughed until her stomach hurt. She had missed this so much, missed the way that Kyo reacted to all of the Sohmas, even if it was absurd and ridiculous for him to react in such a way. She didn't mind at all; she loved it. It was who Kyo was, right down to the core, and she didn't ever want him to change. She especially loved it, now, though, because if Kyo was ever in one of his moods and snapped at her, she gave it right back to him. It usually ended in the two of them sharing a rather enthusiastic night together, but that was something that Shigure could keep guessing. He didn't need to know how much Kyo had really changed. Where would the fun in that be?

-:-:-

Akito sat against the doorframe in hers and Shigure's room while waiting for him to return. She was still tired, bundled in new clothes and her favorite comforter while picking at some fruit she had been brought to eat. She could feel a cold coming on, but it wasn't anything serious like Shigure always thought it was. The thought of him fretting over her being sick made her smile, and she tucked her hair behind her ear.

She had only been sitting there for a mere twenty minutes, though, when she heard Hatori's car pull into the driveway. Another smile crossed her lips, and she reached for the small package at her side. It was a tiny present for Tohru, one she hoped the young girl liked. Since Tohru had broken their curse, it had taken Akito a long time to slowly grow accustomed to the rest of the family leading individual lives away from her. However, it also gave Akito the chance to live a life the way she wanted to while remaining the head of the family. Now, she had Shigure all to herself, and he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She had found true happiness, and she wasn't lonely anymore.

It was all in thanks to Tohru. To welcome Tohru home, and to show Tohru that Akito, herself, welcomed her to the family, she had gone with Shigure to pick something out for her. For the first time, Akito felt nervous as she waited patiently to see Tohru and Kyo once again.

-:-:-

So chapter 3 is finally up. It wasn't the easiest chapter to write; I feel as though it wasn't as good as chapter 1 and 2 were, and I really busted my rear to get it finished and posted as soon as I could. I've had two exams in the last week (one today Thursday the 14th, and one a week ago from today). I scored an 82 on both of them! Yea~; nursing exams really suck. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this.

I'm slowly and hopefully developing a plot, and as soon as I figure out exactly what it will be, I'll have a really good idea of where this story is going. Since I don't have an exam next week (oh my God, thank you so much), I will hopefully be able to start working on chapter 4. I truly hope you are enjoying this. Please, let me know what you think!

I would definitely start writing now, if I could, but I just took 50mg of Benedryl to knock myself out. I think I've developed acute insomnia related to stress, and I forgot sleep existed! So, until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

3

**Chapter Four**

Kyo was surprised to find himself pressing closer toward Tohru as they made their way down the hall in the Sohma house. He hadn't been in the Sohma house since the curse had been lifted, especially since he'd had that conversation with Akito. Part of him was nervous about seeing her again, but the other part was pride; he wanted to show Akito just how strong he had become, and he wanted to show off Tohru. The latter wasn't something he realized in the forefront, but it was just natural to want to show off the one thing that made you the proudest and the happiest.

When Shigure pulled back the door to his and Akito's room, Kyo swallowed and slid his hand into Tohru's. It may have been a sign of weakness, but between his Shishou, his master in the mountains, and Tohru, he had slowly learned to accept humility as a strength, instead. Tohru squeezed his hand in response, and she gave him a smile before following Shigure into the room. Hatori was there with them, as well, but he seemed to stay at a distance from Akito. Neither Kyo nor Tohru questioned it, though, and they followed Shigure to sit in the center of the room as a sign of respect for Akito.

"Akito," Shigure spoke, wandering over to where she sat and sliding his hand into hers. "Tohru and Kyo have come to see you." He said, and he helped her to stand. He smiled softly when she pressed herself into his side to lean on him, her cold seeming to take the strength from her small body again. She nodded her head toward Kyo and Tohru, and she let Shigure guide her into the room.

"Was your trip nice?" She asked, sitting down in front of the young couple. It was different, this time, than when she last spoke with them. It was obvious she had been trying to grow and mature while remaining the head of the household, and they weren't easy tasks to accomplish. She felt Shigure's presence at her side, and it made her relax a bit as she curled her hands in her lap.

Tohru nodded her head, giving Akito a smile. "It was very nice. We had no problems during the trip, and we are happy to be home again for a while." She wasn't afraid of Akito anymore, and she hadn't been since she'd stood up to her. To Tohru, Akito had been a scared little girl who was terrified of being alone. Growing up with a mother who resented her was as bad as growing up without a mother, if not worse. Tohru knew it wasn't easy for Akito, and she respected her strength. Tohru also knew that, if she hadn't fought the way she did years ago, she wouldn't be sitting there happily at Kyo's side. Regardless of the fact that Kyo was almost as tense as a board and Tohru could feel it radiating off of him.

"That is good to hear. I'm glad Shigure was able to find you; I was half worried he would get lost." Akito said, hiding her smile behind her sleeve, and turning pink when she felt Shigure's surprised eyes on her.

"Thanks, Akito; that means a lot." Shigure laughed, kissing her shoulder before he looked at Kyo and Tohru. "Kyo, why don't you come with me? I'm hungry and thought we could get something to snack on. Besides, why don't we leave the girls alone for some girl talk?" He suggested, standing up and waving the young man to follow him.

Kyo looked to Tohru, then, almost fearing leaving her alone with Akito before Tohru gave him a smile. "Go with Shigure," she said. "I'm a bit hungry, anyway. Maybe you can bring me something good to snack on? I'll make us dinner when we get to the house later." She promised, and she squeezed his hand to reassure him. It amused her how protective Kyo was over her; it made her so happy.

"Okay. We'll be back in a little while." He said, and he wandered after Shigure into the hallway. "I…Is it okay to leave her with Akito, Shigure?"

Shigure chuckled. "Of course it is. Akito isn't the way she used to be." He said, sliding his hands into his sleeves as he led Kyo down the hall toward the kitchen. "She's grown a great deal, and she's a lot more mature than she was when you two left. Of course, just to be safe…Hatori is still in the room with them, remember?" He chuckled. "Akito has been known to toss a temper tantrum or two, but I don't think we have anything to worry about with Tohru. Not anymore."

-:-:-:-

Akito watched them leave before she turned to Tohru, and she smiled a bit. "Why don't we sit on the porch? The breeze is cool, but it's not too bad if you sit by the door." She suggested, and she gathered her skirts and slowly rose to her feet. When she wobbled a bit, Tohru was there for her to lean on. "You've always been so kind to me, even when I was so mean to you."

Tohru smiled. "You were never mean to me, Akito. You just reacted the only way you knew how." She said, and she helped Akito to the porch where she had been when they entered the house, and she sat beside her. "But things are better now, right? I know Shigure is very happy being at your side."

Akito nodded her head and tightened her comforter about her shoulders. "I am happy, too. I didn't think I could be happy when the zodiacs left. I didn't think I would truly be happy knowing none of them were coming back to me. But I am happy with Shigure; he knows how to handle me when I need it."

Tohru could see the blush on Akito's cheeks, and that alone let her know that she had changed to the _real_ Akito, not the one who lashed out when she felt any emotion aside from the normal. She giggled a bit, then, and nodded her head. "Much like Kyo, only opposite, I think. Kyo tends to lose his temper very easily, especially around Shigure and Yuki. There were even times that he'd turn and snap at me unintentionally. Back then…I used to cower and fear that he hated me. Now, I just yell back at him."

Akito chuckled. "How does he handle that? I can't imagine Kyo knowing how to react to someone yelling back at him when he gets angry."

"Well, at first it wasn't easy. It would escalate into an argument, but after it happened a few times, it started turning out a lot better. Now we end up laughing most of the time." Tohru explained, and she shifted so that she could fix her hair beneath her hat while they spoke.

"It is nice to know that someone can handle him aside from his Shishou." Akito said, leaning against the door quietly. "He was very tense when he was here with us. I think that's why Shigure took him to find some food."

"Kyo…still has memories." Tohru confessed, looking out over the courtyard and sighing softly. "They're not easy for him when they come back, but he has grown so much from that time. He's such a happier person, and he's one who is loved by many. He has a handful of students who adore him. They can't wait to get home from school and rush to the dojo so he can teach them. And his current master has a lot of pride in Kyo. Of course, he'd never admit that to Kyo; he makes Kyo earn it."

Akito listened quietly to Tohru. She could hear the emotion in the other girl's voice, the love she held for the former cat. She could see that, if anyone were to break their curse, it would be Tohru. Tohru, who loved the cat from the zodiac as a child, who kept their secret from everyone, who was there for anyone in the family whenever they needed it. Tohru, who healed Yuki and calmed Kyo. The same Tohru who Kyo had fallen deeply in love with Kyo. Akito…was very thankful for Tohru, she realized.

"I am happy to hear that things are a lot better, now. They are, for everyone." Akito continued. "I don't know if you've spoken with your friend…Uo recently? But Kureno keeps in touch from time to time. He has been chasing her for quite a while now, but she's been very evasive and, well, hard to catch."

That made Tohru laugh, and she nodded her head. "I heard that someone was chasing after Uo from Hana, but I wasn't sure who it was. I had a feeling it was Kureno, though. He seemed to like her a lot, even if things were a bit…challenging, at the time. Kureno never wanted to leave your side, truly, but I think he knew he had the ability to love another. He also knew…your heart lay with Shigure. If that is not too bold for me to say, Akito."

"Not at all," Akito smiled. "What I did to Kureno was rude and mean. I used him to get back at Shigure. But Kureno has forgiven me, now, and he visits, too. Tohru…I…bought something for you."

Tohru turned to look at Akito, then, and she blinked in confusion for a moment. "You bought something for me, Akito? You didn't have to do such a thing."

Akito smiled and pulled a small package from her sleeve, handing it over to Tohru. "I wanted to. I wanted to…thank you for everything you've done. I know it's been years, and we've spoken before about it…I just wasn't able to summon the strength to say those words."

Tohru bowed her head politely in thanks and smiled at Akito. "I understand; I am not upset with that. Thank you so much," she said, and she pulled the paper open and let out a little excited gasp. "Akito, they're lovely!" Wrapped in the paper were two matching, pink ribbons with small bows at each end. They matched the colors of the cherry blossoms that both Akito and Tohru loved, and Tohru removed her hat so she could pull her hair back and fasten it with her new ribbons.

Akito watched her, and she smiled. "You're welcome. I know it's not much, but you always have something in your hair."

Tohru nodded, and she reached over to squeeze Akito's hand. "Maybe one day when you are feeling well again, you and Shigure could visit Kyo and me. It might be nice for you to get away for a while, don't you think?"

The head of the Sohmas was rather surprised when Tohru suggested she visit, but she nodded her head and played with her skirts a bit. "I would like that, very much. I think Shigure would enjoy it, too. Maybe…Hatori and Ayame could join us?"

Tohru giggled and smiled widely, turning to look over her shoulder. "Would you like that, Hatori?"

Looking up from the book he had become engrossed in, Hatori blinked and brushed his bangs from his eyes. "What is that, Miss Honda?"

"For you, Ayame, Shigure, and Akito to visit me and Kyo at our home in the mountains." Tohru repeated, still holding Akito's hand. She felt Akito turn her own hand over and squeeze their grip in return, and it made Tohru smile. She'd always wanted Akito to be a friend, and though it was hard for Kyo at times, Tohru hoped that they could move passed things.

Hatori smiled and nodded his head once, returning to his book. "I would enjoy that, Miss Honda," he said, and he turned the page. "I will have to let Ayame know the next time I see him; he has been rather busy with his shop and shows he has been traveling to."

Tohru made a note to speak with Ayame about that when she saw him, but she turned back to Akito after she'd received Hatori's answer. "So it's final, then. You will be coming to visit us sometime soon. Maybe in the summer!"

Akito parted her lips to speak, then, but she was cut off when the inside door to her room opened and Shigure and Kyo reappeared with small sandwiches and tea they'd sloppily thrown together. "Shigure…were you trying to cook again?" She giggled, and then covered her mouth in surprise. She hadn't let anyone but Shigure hear her laugh, so it was a little embarrassing at first.

Tohru rose to her feet and wandered to where Kyo and Shigure were setting the food down on a small table. "They're so cute!" She exclaimed at the tiny sandwiches, and she turned to Kyo to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you. I was starving! These will be nice to hold us over until dinner."

Kyo gave her a smile, visibly relaxing when he saw that she was okay. He reached up and touched the ribbons in her hair, and he brushed her hair off her shoulder. He wanted to tell her he was glad to see she was okay, but he didn't want to say it in front of Akito. He looked toward the porch, then, and saw Akito smiling as Shigure helped her to her feet. He was relaxing more, then, and he looked at Tohru. "Just nothing with leeks, okay?"

"Kyo, Tohru invited me, Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori to visit you one day in the summer. Won't that be nice?" Akito said quietly, slipping down to the floor beside Shigure. "I think Tohru was right when she said a vacation may do me well."

Kyo swallowed hard when he heard Akito say that, and he looked at Tohru. A flicker of anger crossed through his eyes, but he relaxed and let it roll off of his shoulders. Sitting down, he reached for a sandwich and stuffed it into his mouth. _Invited Akito? How could she do that without…so much as talking to me?_ He sighed and sipped the tea a bit before he turned to Akito and nodded his head. "It…it will do you well. The mountains are beautiful, and it's quieter than it is here." He spoke quietly, staring at his tea for a few moments.

Tohru knew right away that Kyo was angry, but she didn't let it bother her. She ate another sandwich and then sat back to sip her tea. "I know it feels like we've only just arrived, I think we should be heading to the house soon so we can get settled in."

Akito nodded her head. "Hatori will be able to take you to the house." She picked a sandwich and nibbled at it before she looked at Shigure. "Do you want to go with them, or are you staying here?"

"I'm going to stay here this time," Shigure replied. "I think Hatori can handle Kyo and Tohru alone."

Tohru wandered over to the porch and grabbed her hat from the floor, and she turned back to Akito. "Here, this is for you." She said, tucking the hat down on Akito's head and adjusting her hair under it. "So now you have something from me, too."

Akito's cheeks turned pink, and she smiled widely at Tohru. "Thank you very much. I'll treasure it." She said, and she touched the hat as Tohru waved and disappeared with Kyo and Hatori.

-:-:-:-

"I get that you want to be friends with Akito, Tohru, but couldn't you have at least waited to talk to me?" Kyo grunted as he rubbed his face, flopping down beside the table they used to gather around when they were in high school.

Tohru sighed and shrugged her shoulder. "Because Akito needs more than just Shigure. And if Akito is a lot better, now, then she was years ago, there shouldn't be any reason why I can't invite her to come visit us."

"Because it's not just _your _house, Tohru. It's _our_ house. If you don't remember, I have a bit of a history with Akito; she wanted to lock me into a room for the rest of my life, until I died." He said, his voice laced with frustration.

"I know that, Kyo. And I'm sorry I just said it on impulse, but I'm not sorry I invited them." She turned and walked into the kitchen for a moment before she brought out some hot chocolate, knowing it was one of the things Kyo enjoyed drinking, especially when it was cold out.

Kyo looked at her while she carried two mugs full of steaming hot chocolate, and he couldn't hold back the bit of a quirked lip when he saw the marshmallows in them. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just hard to deal with seeing Akito sometimes, let alone finding out she's going to be in my house for a while."

"We don't know when, though, Kyo. It was just a suggestion." She said, looking at him from across the table. She blew on her hot chocolate and then looked at him again. "Maybe it would be good for you, though, to see that Akito really has changed."

Kyo pushed his mug toward hers and then crawled around the table, sitting behind her so she could lean back against his chest. "Isn't it enough that I've come this far?" He asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"It won't be enough, Kyo, until you stop having the nightmares…until you can walk into a room with Akito and not tense up." She replied, half closing her eyes as she felt him wrap an arm around her stomach. "You've come this far, though…so there's no point to stop now. Besides, I'll be there the whole time. And look, I was just there with Akito while you weren't, and she was perfectly fine with me. She is happy, now, and even happier with Shigure."

Kyo hummed against her ear and sighed. Twirling his finger around a pink ribbon in her hair, he nodded his head and kissed just behind her ear. "I can try, but I can't promise anything."

Tohru nodded her head and shifted to settle back against Kyo's chest. "That's all I ask." She whispered, and then she giggled when he played with the ribbon in her hair. "They're new. Akito gave them to me, today, to thank me for breaking the curse."

Kyo blinked for a moment, surprised that Akito would do such a thing, and then he tightened his grip around the girl he loved. "That's very nice. I'm pretty glad you broke the curse, too, you know."

A resounding laugh echoed through the room, and it was like music to Kyo's ears. He hated fighting with her. He kissed her cheek, again, and then he heard her speak. "Well, of course you're glad I broke the curse. If I hadn't, you'd still be a virgin."

Luckily, he hadn't been sipping his hot chocolate, then, or it would have landed all over the smart-mouthed woman that had developed over the years. And yes, he had to admit, that he was totally infatuated with her, even when she gave him hell and made him mad.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

So chapter 4! I can confess that the only reason you have this so fast is because my 3rd exam (which was supposed to be Thursday the 21st) has been moved. Otherwise, I would have been pushing myself to type my lectures and study my ass off, but we haven't gotten all the maternity/newborn information that we need for said exam. Of course, my class isn't complaining! And since I got sick while at work yesterday and am trying to recover, it's even better.

Luckily, I have some awesome friends in Japan who, even though I'm on the East Coast of the USA love to talk to me and help me through times when I really need that. Funny, because I have asthma that was acting up as a result of being sick, and Giraffeman (my best friend over there) logged online to tell me his asthma was acting up. We were both being bums on the computer with our inhalers nearby. How cool are we?

ANYWAY, I digress. I liked this chapter. I feel as though it was a good character development area, and maybe something for a future plot? I do have to report that I have some major plot ideas that will be coming up in the next few chapters, and I'm glad that Kyo and Tohru decided to visit the Sohmas for a while. Totally makes things easier on me. ;) I do hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Also, on a side note…has anyone else had issues with the story status page? It hasn't been tracking _Daydream's_ stats for about three days, and I know for a fact that people have already read chapter 3.


	5. Chapter 5

3

**Chapter Five**

Cleaning wasn't exactly something Tohru ultimately enjoyed, but it was something that she was damn good at. She'd woken when Kyo had, as usual, and she'd sent him out of the house to go on his run and do his morning routine while she started her own work. It had been a while since she'd been in Shigure's old house, but she still knew it like the back of her hand. She tied her hair back with a handkerchief, and she wore some old clothes she didn't mind getting dirty.

Opening all the windows, she aired the house out while she worked, and she made sure to have the washer and dryer running to clean the laundry she found and created. She was determined to have the house spotless when Yuki returned, and she knew Kyo being out of the house was probably the best way she could get work done. When he was around, she found herself distracted, and if she wasn't distracted, she lost interest in cleaning in order to talk with Kyo or plan different things. So, since he was out, she had already cleaned the whole second floor and was currently scrubbing the kitchen floor.

Maybe it was a little over the top, but she hadn't seen Yuki in such a long time that she wanted everything to be perfect when he came home. Besides, she had to do something to occupy herself while Kyo was out. Wiping her forehead, she sat back on her heels and looked at the damp floor. She was satisfied, and she thought it was a good idea, then, to at least start their late breakfast/early lunch. Opening the fridge, she smiled to herself and pulled out some fresh vegetables and other things, starting to work on a vegetable soup she knew Kyo would enjoy.

-:-:-:-

Kyo was halfway through his run when he reached his destination. His heart flipped over in his chest as he heard the familiar chants of young students practicing their positions from inside the dojo, and he had to bite back a smile. He wandered to the large wooden doors and slid his hands along the frame, slowly pushing it open. The courtyard was the way it had been when he left so long ago, and the room where he used to teach the afternoon classes was set ajar to his right. He wandered closer, and he stepped up onto the porch after taking his shoes off. In socks, he stepped onto the straw mats and looked at the class in session.

"Class," a deep, comforting voice sounded from somewhere behind him, and it caused Kyo to turn around. "It seems we have a visitor."

Kyo was never one to admit that he ever felt those anxious butterflies floating about in his stomach, but when it came to Tohru or his Shishou, he felt like a kid again. "Shishou…" he whispered, barely able to contain his happiness behind his smile.

Kazuma Sohma chuckled and bowed his head in a greeting to the orange-haired boy. "Kyo, welcome back." He said, and he turned to his class. "Class is dismissed early today. Please keep working, and I will see you tomorrow afternoon." With a bow, he watched as his young students scurried about after bowing in return until each had left for the evening.

Kyo was almost itching in his skin to move from where he stood, and when Kazuma turned back to him, he couldn't help himself. "Shishou," he said again, and he moved toward his former master. "It's so good to see you again."

Kazuma smiled and grabbed Kyo by the top of his head, tugging him closer and wrapping the still-somewhat-shorter boy in a hug. "I am happy you have returned." He said, squeezing the boy he'd raised tightly before he released him to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Kyo hugged Kazuma in response to the older man's grip, and he just laughed. "We received a letter from Shigure, and Tohru and I planned on visiting just recently. I wanted to surprise you. She's cleaning right now, though, and she made me leave."

The dojo master stepped back and led Kyo further into the dojo where he offered him a seat in the small gathering room. "I will bring tea out; just wait one moment." He smiled, and he disappeared for a couple minutes. Meanwhile, Kyo folded his legs under him and rested against the table, smiling. It felt so good to be home again, especially with his Shishou. He looked forward to maybe, one day, moving home again to be near to Shishou once again. That would be something that would come with time, of course, when he finished his training with his current master.

When Kazuma returned, he ruffled Kyo's hair and drew him from his thoughts again. Kyo snorted and nudged his master's hand away playfully. "I missed you, Shishou. I've thought about you a lot while we've been away."

"You know I've missed you, too, Kyo." Kazuma said, pouring tea for the both of them with the set he brought from the kitchen. "How have you been? And Tohru?"

"We've been well, thanks. Tohru finished her degree in cooking, but she's staying at home, now, to help me with the dojo where I work. We're doing well with the classes I'm teaching, enough that we're able to pay for our small home while I'm the only one who works. She helps with the management of the classes, as well as the money, too. So we have a good process going. She prefers being home, too; she cleans and cooks and is still studying cooking." Kyo waited for his tea to cool, watching the way Kazuma let the tea sit before him in order to give it time, as well. It was one of the small lessons Kazuma had taught him, to be patient and not rush things as he tended to do.

"I'm very happy to hear that. It has been very different without you here. Your old students come back from time to time and ask about you, and they miss you. In fact, the students I have now speak of you, though they haven't met you. It's quite a compliment, Kyo." Kazuma watched the way Kyo's eyes widened at the little piece of information, and it made him laugh. He had always enjoyed surprising Kyo, or at least drawing that wide-eyed reaction from him. In the past, it would often precede an explosion and a ridiculous little rant from the boy, but they were memories that Kazuma treasured.

Kyo gazed down at his tea for a moment before he looked up at Kazuma again, and he nodded his head. "It is quite a compliment, thank you. If you would like, we'll be in town for just over a week…I could stop by and help out in some of your classes." He suggested.

"I would enjoy that, in fact. I think that's a wonderful idea. It'll also give Tohru time to visit with some of her friends and clean if she wishes." Kazuma hummed, smiling as he lifted his teacup to his lips.

"I agree," Kyo said, wrapping his hands around the warm stone cup. "Shishou, there is…something I'd like to talk to you about, too. It's something I've been thinking about, but I'm not really sure…what to do."

Kazuma shifted his weight to give Kyo his full attention, and he nodded his head. "Has something happened, Kyo? You're not one to normally seek help." It amused the both of them because it was true, but Kazuma could tell that Kyo was serious.

"Something hasn't really happened, but it's just something I've noticed. It's about Tohru," the younger man explained. "I've just started having these thoughts that…I know she'll be the only one I'll ever want to be with. It's just natural for us to be together, and I want it to stay that way. Do you know what I mean?"

A knowing smile appeared on Kazuma's lips, then, and he nodded his head, long silver bangs falling into his face. "I do know exactly what you mean. Are you starting to feel as though it's time to make this a permanent arrangement?"

Kyo looked up at his master, then, and he nodded his head. It was funny how his Shishou could always, no matter what it was, put it into the right words and make Kyo feel better about himself. He knew he could always trust his Shishou, and he knew that if there was anyone who would love him, if there was anyone who would never leave his side, it would be Tohru and his Shishou.

-:-:-:-

When Kyo returned to Shigure's house, he could smell lunch cooking, and he saw how Tohru had finished cleaning from top to bottom. She was such a diligent worker, and it made him smile. She inspired him to work harder and finish what he set out to accomplish, too. He toed off his shoes, everything his Shishou having told him spinning through his head, and he made his way up the stairs to shower and change.

He could hear the shower running in the bathroom, and as he neared it in the hallway, he heard it shut off and could hear Tohru fussing behind the door. He slipped his shirt off and tossed it in the hamper outside the bathroom door, doing the same with his socks before he reached for the door.

Tohru smiled to herself as she heard the bathroom door slide open. Her hair was twisted onto the top of her head in the towel she'd used to form a turban, and she was wrapped in a pale pink terrycloth towel to keep herself warm after her shower. Regardless, she knew who it was, so she didn't exactly worry if she was covered or not. She readjusted herself, though, propping her right foot in the sink as she coated her calf in white, foamy shaving cream.

"You do realize it's rude to enter a lady's room, especially her bathroom, if she may be indecent." She spoke, not lifting her eyes from her leg as she wet her pink razor in the running water. She could feel the way Kyo was watching her as he stood in the doorway, and it made her smile. She loved the way he watched her, the way he was so cautious to make sure she was okay. Of course, she knew he liked to look at her for other reasons, too. She didn't know if he knew that she liked to instigate these kinds of things, but she really couldn't help herself.

"Well, the only lady I see here is one who normally doesn't mind me joining her in the bathroom." Kyo replied as he remained leaning against the doorframe. His eyes followed the lines of her leg from the tips of her painted toenails along her calf, over her knee and down her thigh to the swell of her rounded bottom just barely visible beneath her towel. She was beautiful and sexy, and Kyo thought it was cute that she waited until after her shower to shave her legs in the sink. It was one of her little quirks.

Tohru knew Kyo was right, but she didn't take her eyes off what she was doing to acknowledge him. She rinsed her razor, then, and she started shaving once more. "I suppose you're right," she smiled, and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Did you have a nice run?"

Kyo moved into the bathroom, then, and slipped his hands along her damp arms, kissing the curve of her neck. "I did. I stopped by to see Shishou, too. He was very happy to hear that we're home, and he wants to see you when we can."

Tohru smiled and reached for her washcloth, wetting it under the water and wiping away any leftover shaving cream before she switched her legs. "I would love that," she said, and she purred, shivering just a bit when she felt Kyo's large, warm hand on the inside of her unshaved thigh. "Ahh…what are you up to?"

He chuckled softly, his lips just resting behind Tohru's ear as he let his hand wander further up her thigh until she trembled a bit. He wrapped his arm around her small waist and drew her back against his chest. "Nothing just yet." He grinned, and he pressed her bottom against the flat of his hips.

She giggled, and she put her razor down, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Is that so?" She wondered, and she tip-toed her finger along the back of Kyo's wrist. Her breath hitched in her throat, then, and she felt his warm fingers move between her thighs and brush strong knuckles over the sensitive skin there. Almost as fast as he touched her, his touch disappeared, and his hands wandered up her sides and over the swells of flesh at her chest. He squeezed her breasts, feeling them fitting perfectly in his palms and earning him a soft, quiet little breathy sigh from his woman.

"Like that?" He asked, looking at her half-lidded eyes in the mirror in front of them. She nodded in response, and she curved her back to push her chest more into his hands. Her subtle cues guided him the majority of the time, but he had grown to know her body so well that he could read her face or listen to her sounds and know exactly what she wanted. "I'm glad," he whispered, and he slipped his fingers to the elastic band that held the towel in place just beneath her arms. Grasping it between his fingers, he folded it down to her waist, exposing her beautiful body to his sight. He let a little groan escape, letting it brush past her ear as he watched the round buds of her nipples harden in the cool air.

"I still have to shave my leg," she whispered, her stomach sucking in lightly as his hands rested there. She saw how small her body was against his, how his two large hands covered most of her stomach together, and as they moved up over her ribcage, she felt the way she did the first night they made love. Her breathing increased slightly, and she could feel herself starting to dampen as his lips found their way to the side of her jaw and down her neck. She purred when he cupped her breasts again, his thumbs brushing over her nipples.

"You'll be able to shave your leg," he said, and he nudged the towel from her hair, letting it fall to the floor before he lifted her chin and pressed their mouths together. "Once I'm done with you," he grinned, and he sucked on her bottom lip while he pinched and rolled her nipples between his fingers. She was already squirming against him; he knew how sensitive her breasts were, especially her nipples. He loved to make her writhe for him, and the sounds she was making were driving all the blood in his body south.

She tilted her head back onto his shoulder, her hair clinging to the sides of her face as she reached behind her to grip his hips. "Kyo," she whispered, and she met his lips for another kiss as his hands found the Velcro on her towel and freed it from her waist. Completely bare before him, hair wet, with remnants of shaving cream clinging to her leg, she was simply gorgeous. He turned her around, and he grabbed her hips, lifting her onto counter beside the sink. Her arms immediately wrapped about his neck, and she drew him close to kiss him again. His kisses were addictive to her, and she let her hands slide down his chest, tenderly teasing his nipples in response.

Kyo nudged her legs apart with his hands, slipping his palms over her inner thighs and over her hips. He brushed the prominent bones with his thumbs, feeling the soft bumps along her groin from where she shaved. She was smooth, something she had decided to do before they had coupled for the first time, and something she continued to do not only for Kyo, but for herself, as well. He moved his kisses from her lips to her jaw, down over her neck and finally to her breast. He ghosted his fingers along the swell, brushing them against the side of her chest while he flicked his tongue over her nipple. She sucked her breath in, and she giggled softly, brushing her fingers through his orange hair while he pulled her nipple into his mouth. He squeezed her hip with his free hand, and he nudged it a bit. When she bent her knee and propped her foot on the counter, his hand rested on her stomach, and his thumb brushed just below that soft mound of flesh.

A little squeak let him know she liked what he was doing, and he stroked the velvety flesh tenderly. "Mnn…I love those sounds you make." He said, and he slipped his fingers lower yet, brushing them along the tender folds of skin and her slit. She wiggled against his hand, and he watched her hips roll toward him. She was already wet; he could feel how much he affected her, and he used that moistness to slip a finger inside her.

"Ohh…." She whispered, tilting her head back and holding a hand in his thick hair. She pushed herself down onto his hand, and she let out a deeper moan the moment he crooked his finger. She cracked her eyes open, watching him from her perch on the counter, as he reached for the unused towel next to her and dropped it to the floor where he followed it to kneel before her. He slipped her dangling leg over his shoulder and nudged her to lean back against the mirror, opening her up to him. She could feel his lips against her thigh, moving higher and higher until he replaced his finger with his tongue, teasing her slowly with the slick muscle.

She whimpered when he moved again, his lips and tongue and kisses moving higher, engulfing the sensitive nub between her folds. He sucked at it, lifting his eyes to watch her quietly as he slipped a finger inside her again, soon followed by a second. She was trembling around him, and he could feel her muscles tightening and relaxing about his fingers. She was getting close to her first orgasm, and he started to work harder, then. He parted her soft folds and continued to tease his tongue over her while he rocked his fingers in and out of her channel.

When her orgasm did hit her, she arched off the counter and cried out Kyo's name. With a whimper, she quaked on the cool surface, her legs threatening to close around Kyo's head. He purred, licking her until she squirmed away. He chuckled, and he stood to gather her in his arms while she slipped off the counter. Kissing her slowly, he felt her hands sliding down his sides and pushing his shorts down to his feet.

"I want you," she whispered to him, nuzzling his shoulder while she wrapped her hand around his shaft. Stroking it upward, she soon found her own mouth occupied with his kiss. She leaned back against the vanity, and she blindly fumbled for their bag they kept off to the side. He chuckled, and he reached to the bag himself so she could concentrate on what she was doing, and from it he pulled a condom. He handed it to her, and she gave him a bit of a sheepish smile before she tore it open and rolled it down onto his shaft. "You're so hard…" she said with a happy little wiggle.

It made him laugh, the way she seemed so excited over something she'd seen so many times before. But he turned her around, sliding his hands down her back and over her rear. "You can take credit for that," he said, and he nibbled at her shoulder as he guided himself between her long, slender legs. She whimpered softly, dipping her low back and rolling her hips so that she could help him, and he nudged the head of his length inside her.

She moaned again, louder than she had before, and she forced her eyes to stay open while she stared into the mirror, looking straight at her lover. Kyo's eyes met hers, and as he slid inside her, they darkened further. When he had sheathed himself completely within her, he enveloped her in his arms and started a steady rhythm. She clung to his arms, and she watched as he pushed her hair away from her neck to attack it with kisses and nibbles.

The way he moved in and out of her sent chills down her spine, and she tried to help with the effort, but the position didn't give her much room to move. Instead, she kept her back arched to push back against him, and he moved as hard and fast as they wanted. Soon she was sweating again, her skin moist and heated, clinging to the hard muscles of his chest where he held her. His hands were all over her, everywhere and anywhere, squeezing, holding, touching, and he was simply stunning in the mirror. His orange hair clung to his forehead, his lips were parted as he panted, but soon he was kissing her body again, moving steadily so that he could drive them both toward that climax they both craved.

"Kyo…" she whispered, gasping when she felt his hand sliding down between her legs again. "Oh…harder, please, Kyo…" It didn't take much for him to oblige her request, and soon skin was slapping against skin, echoing in the small room with their pants and moans. She could feel her body starting to react again, feeling her stomach muscles tightening and her legs starting to tremble. She wanted so badly to release, to do so while her lover was so deep inside her, to make him feel just how he made her body react. She desperately wanted to make him reach his peak, as well, so that she could feel it, as well.

"I'm so close, baby," he whispered to her, breathing against her ear as he nibbled and sucked on the lobe. "God…ohn…" He moved his fingers over the engorged pearl between her legs, manipulating it in all the right ways to make her legs tremble and her whimpers change in pitch and frequency. And suddenly, she clenched every muscle around him, squeezing him so tightly within her body that he lost his breath, though he continued to move his fingers. She came hard around him, and he moved his hips with each contraction of her muscles, helping her to ride them out while aching to release, himself.

"Kyo! Ohnn…Kyo!" She breathed out, gripping onto his arm and letting out a deep, long moan the moment she felt him tremble and throb inside her. He filled the condom with his release, only several thrusts after her orgasm had started to subside. His arms tightened about her, holding her to his chest while he kissed her jaw and her shoulder.

"I love you, Tohru," he breathed, panting softly while he tried to recover. He pushed her hair out of her forehead, looking down at her smaller form in his arms. She was beautiful, so special to him, and simply amazing. She was still goofy and klutzy, but he didn't mind. It made her perfect to him and for him, and he watched the way she smiled, so sated and satisfied, as she relaxed in his arms.

"I'm glad," she giggled, reaching up to touch the side of his face as he withdrew from her. She watched him remove and dispose of the condom in the trashcan before he pulled her closer against his sticky, sweaty chest. "I love you, too." She felt him slide his hand into hers, and she watched as he kissed her fingers before he spoke again.

"Let's take a bath; you want to shave your leg, and I made you all sticky and sweaty again." He laughed, and she nodded her head, laying it against Kyo's shoulder to relax for a couple moments after their afternoon adventure.

-:-:-:-

Back at the dojo, Kazuma was searching through the drawers in his closet to find something he'd thought of while Kyo was visiting earlier that day. He knew he'd see the boy again; he wanted to see Tohru, as well, and have some of her wonderful cooking. He, himself, had eaten a little TV dinner and then settled to read his novel before the idea struck him.

Searching through some of his old belongings, he pulled a small wooden box out from the back of a drawer. He grinned, opening it to make sure everything was in its right place, and then he closed it again. He carried it to his bedroom where he sat it on his dresser to be taken with him to see Kyo and Tohru, later. Making sure his side door was cracked just enough to let the cool breeze through, he settled down into bed and smiled to himself.

Kyo had truly become a man, and Kazuma was, as he had always been, proud to consider the orange-haired boy his one and only son.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Well, I'm so very sorry for the very long delay on posting this chapter. School has been ridiculous lately; I'm so ready for May 13th when my semester ends. I'm tired, stressed out, and emotionally/physically/mentally exhausted. However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I wanted to give all my lovely readers a little treat, as I know some were waiting for me to fulfill that NC-17 rating. ;) Of course, I also tried to give a little insight into the plot, too, so we shall see.

I don't plan on bringing all of the Sohma family into the story, either. I do believe that gets redundant and irritating; there's too many to keep straight. So I'm bringing in the most vital characters, and others may make a cameo. But we shall see…I promise to try and update sooner next time. Now, though, I'm going to go to sleep so I can wake up at 4am to watch the Royal Wedding and then go to work at 9am!

So, let me know what you think! And as always, thank you so much for your support!


	6. Intermission

**I just want to announce a minor intermission for **_**Daydreams**_**.**

**I am not stopping the story, I promise. I am just in my 3****rd**** out of 4 semesters of nursing school, and I have one clinical (tomorrow) , one lecture (Thursday), and one Final Exam (Friday) to get through. **

**As a result, I have been unable to start the next chapter. However, I have some ideas, and as soon as my summer vacation starts, I will be working on it. Please bear with me! **

**.Machine**


	7. Chapter 6

6

**Chapter Six**

Tohru woke when the sun peeked through the open window curtains and slid across the matted flooring onto hers and Kyo's futon. Rolling over, she was surprised to find the other still asleep in bed, curled into his pillow with the sheets bunched around his hips. Kyo's body temperature had always been slightly higher than normal, and though it normally made him sweat during the night with the amount of blankets Tohru slept with, it also kept her warm. When she felt her own arm and the coolness to her skin, she shifted a bit closer to him and pressed her face to his back, draping an arm around his waist.

"Mn…" Kyo mumbled, a hand moving down to brush over her fingers and curl around them, though he didn't stir more than that. He rested and sighed softly, drifting back into a deeper sleep. It had rained during the night, having woken Tohru from a rather deep sleep, and it still took it out of Kyo when the storms came through.

"Good morning," she whispered to him, and she closed her eyes again. She tangled her fingers with Kyo's and sighed softly, tenderly placing little feathery kisses against the tense muscles in his back. He didn't reply or move and she hadn't expected him to. Instead, she just snuggled closer to him for a little while before she sat up. Standing, she wandered around the futon and slipped into one of Kyo's button-ups from his bag. She grabbed a pair of her own underwear and stepped into them, then disappeared out of the room to make breakfast.

While she cooked, she hummed quietly to herself regardless that she had the radio playing from the windowsill above the sink. As the French toast was cooking, she gazed out the window and she decided to tend more to the garden she knew was nearby. She'd have to stop and buy some new seeds to plant, but that wasn't much of a problem. She figured Kyo was going to do some other things today, and if he wasn't, she'd be sure to keep him occupied, anyway.

When the French toast was done, she placed the two dishes on a tray and added two large glasses of orange juice to the mix. Cleaning the kitchen quickly—she tossed the dishes into the sink and made sure the stove was off—she turned and then disappeared up the stairs with breakfast in hand. Sliding the door open with her foot, she stepped back into their bedroom and smiled to see Kyo rolled over onto his back, a key sign that he was waking up.

"Kyo," she murmured softly, kneeling beside him and resting the tray on the floor. "Kyo," she said again, and she slid her hand over his hard, defined chest. "Time to wake up."

"M'wake," he replied, his eyes still closed, though he turned his head toward her and stretched a bit at the feel of her hand on him. "Where'd you go? You don't normally get up without me," he said, finally cracking his eyes open to gaze at her.

She leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss over his forehead before motioning toward the tray she'd prepared for them. "I made you breakfast," she explained, and when Kyo rolled over, she sat so that her hips were pressed against the curve of his own. "Yuki won't be arriving until late tonight or early tomorrow morning. I figured we could spend the day together unless you already have plans." She pointed out, cutting some of the toast on Kyo's plate and picking it up with her chopsticks, offering a piece to the older man beside her.

Kyo parted his lips and let Tohru feed him, humming quietly while sliding a hand up and down her side, teasing the soft skin just below the hem of his shirt she wore. "I don't have plans today; I met with Shishou yesterday, so I'm fine with doing whatever you want."

She smiled and took a bite herself, watching the way Kyo took his time to wake up. He'd always been like that, so cat-like, even after the curse had been broken. She played with his hair lightly, twisting it between her fingers and ghosting them through the orange locks. He purred for her, then, loving the way her hands felt in his hair. He accepted another piece of toast and looked toward her, waiting for her response.

"I'm going to the store today, to gather some new seeds for the garden. Will you help me plant them?" She smiled, and she looked at Kyo while sipping her orange juice.

Kyo nodded his head at her, and he propped himself up on his elbow, reaching for the second pair of chopsticks so he could pick and eat the food with Tohru. "You'll have to teach me what to do; I'm not really good at gardening." He liked the way that Tohru felt the need to press herself against him whenever she could, and he enjoyed the way that she always knew how to make him curious. Naturally curious as he was, it was not always an easy task. Tohru, though, was able to strike his interest in a matter of minutes.

"You can help me decide what to plant; nothing has been planted there since the house hasn't been used, so we can figure out what we should grow. And I won't insist on leeks." She said, and she took another bite of the French toast and gave him a cheeky smile.

He rolled his eyes at her and slid his chopsticks into his other hand, using the former to tiptoe his fingertips along her ribcage beneath her shirt, ghosting it along the side of her soft breast. "You're asking for it." He grinned, giving her a little wink when she shivered.

"Asking for what? You to throw me down and have your wicked way with me just because I brought up leeks? You might be mistaken, my love; I might be making out in that situation." She grinned, turning so that he instead received a handful of what he was teasing.

He laughed at her and gave her a little squeeze, setting his chopsticks down and grabbing her under her arms. Yanking her onto his chest, he proceeded to tickle her until tears of laughter slipped out of her eyes, and she nearly begged him in jest to cease. He laughed with her, and he slid his hands through her hair, kissing her softly. "How about we wait a while on going shopping for those seeds?" He breathed, kissing her lips softly, brushing the moisture off his eyelashes with his thumb.

She nodded her head at him, then, and nuzzled her nose against his throat. "That sounds wonderful to me," she breathed ever so happily.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Settled into the seat on the train toward his old home, Yuki crossed his ankles and relaxed against his bag. In his hand he held his most recent novel, having started it only that morning as exams had finished just that very day. Next to him, Machi dozed in and out of sleep quietly against his shoulder, and he smiled. Pressing a light kiss to the top of her head, he shifted again and found a way to make himself more comfortable.

Yuki knew they had at least another hour or so until they had to switch trains to their final destination. Machi had attended the same college he did, and though her major was different and she would graduate two semesters after he did, she was more than happy. They worked well together, fit like two pieces of a puzzle, and Machi understood him in a way no one else could. Well, except for Tohru, but Yuki suspected that Tohru was the exception to everyone's rule. She came into their lives so many years ago and turned everything upside down for the better. It made him happy to remember that thought, and when Machi stirred against his side, he reached across her lap to squeeze her hand.

"We've still got a way to go," he whispered to her, and he laced her fingers in his own. "Are you comfortable?"

"As best as I can be," she replied sleepily, yawning. She readjusted herself and then reached into her rather large bag beside her to draw from it a sweatshirt. Draping it over herself, she closed her eyes and rested her head against Yuki's shoulder, slipping back off to sleep in a matter of minutes.

Like Yuki, Machi had been studying day in and day out for exams. They were both thoroughly exhausted and worn to the bone, drained completely of anything academic. It was Yuki's one hate of schooling; the pressure, the stress, the drive to be better than he was. When he worked himself until he was malnourished and suffering from insomnia, he often thought it wasn't worth it. But in the end, when he looked at what he had accomplished and knew he was so close to his final degree in architecture, he knew that it was a means to an end.

Machi at his side was what made him the happiest, too. Though she was very quiet, he knew how to draw out her less reserved side. She would talk to him for hours about the thoughts she had, the dreams she wanted to fulfill, the way she had held feelings for Yuki for a while before they decided they were going to try. Now, they had been together for several years, and they were happier than ever. With school soon to be ending, Yuki was starting to put things together for a future with Machi. Of course, the first thing in mind was the house he grew up in with Shigure and Kyo and Tohru. He was excited to take Machi _home_, to where he grew. He wanted her to see it, to see what she thought, to know if it made her happy and would be a good home for them.

He had been smart with his finances, as well. Earning academic scholarships, he was able to make it through university with very minimum debt, and he knew he would be able to pay off his student loans relatively close to graduating. These thoughts were ones that made looking toward the future exciting for Yuki.

He shifted again, adjusting his bottom on the rather uncomfortable seat, and he opened his book. With several hours of travel left, he knew he'd be able to put a good dent in his book. Turning to the page he'd marked, he started to read the pages, but he was having trouble stopping his mind from slipping off into daydreams of what was to come.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Meanwhile, Tohru knelt in the cool grass with her gloved hands working diligently in the soil before her. Nearby, Kyo was organizing the many different packets of seeds they'd bought at the store just an hour beforehand. He was watching Tohru out of the corner of his eye, the way she stuck her tongue just barely out of her mouth while deep in concentration. It was cute, and he moved to sit beside her once he'd finished. He knew she didn't realize he was there, and he had to swallow his laugh as he reached out to pinch her tongue between his thumb and forefinger.

"Kyo!" She squeaked with a laugh, turning toward him and wiping her lip with the back of her hand. "What are you doing?"

He chuckled. "You were too cute; you were sticking your tongue out again," he explained, and he sat back in the grass. "I finished organizing the seeds. What else can I do to help? This looks like such a big job."

She nodded her head, pushing her hair out of her face and behind her ear, successfully smearing a little bit of dirt over the high arch of her cheekbone. "Well, I'm tilling the soil, but there are still a lot of weeds in the corners and between the rows. Can you start pulling them? Once we get them out and I finish with this, we'll be able to plant the seeds." She explained. "You can help me decide which plant should go where."

He followed her order, and he kicked off his shoes to go barefoot instead. With a smile, he gave her a little face and then started to pull the weeds from the roots the way he knew he was supposed to. She watched him for a few minutes before smiling and returning to what she was doing. It was so peaceful to do what they were doing, tending to the garden in the silence of the woods. The birds chirped, and she could hear the bubbling creek nearby that led to the large lake down the way.

It was serene, and she lost herself soon in the sounds of the forest as she worked with the ground. Soon, she and Kyo had the whole garden weeded and tilled, and she sat back to look at him. "We're a good team," she smiled, and he nodded his head. "Let's plant the seeds."

Kyo moved around the garden and gathered the seeds into his hands, one packet from each of the piles he'd created. He moved behind her and draped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest so he could watch over her shoulder as she picked through the packets. "Those," he mumbled softly, pointing to the cucumber packet. "They should be first."

She smiled and nodded her head in agreement, enjoying the way he held her as she pulled the packet open and then settled the seeds one by one into the ground. The first row was completed quickly, Kyo staying at her side and watching her until he felt comfortable enough to move dirt, place a seed, and cover it himself. He knew it was simple, but doing something he'd never done when the woman he loved was so good at it was rather daunting. He wanted her to know he could do it.

It was then, of course, that Kyo realized that no matter how old they were or how long they'd been together, he'd always want to make her happy. He'd always want to do his best just for her. She was everything that was important to him, and the way she smiled when he made her happy was something he lived for.

Seed by seed, together they replanted the garden near the house. Cucumbers, strawberries, blue berries, lettuce, all simple things. But Kyo was excited, and he turned to Tohru when they'd finished, brushing his thumb over her cheek and wiping the dirt from it. "We're a good team." He smiled.

She nodded her head, and she turned to gather their tools and extra packets of seeds. "We've always been a good team, silly, right from the start. It just took you a long time to figure it out." She said, and she moved closer to him as they wandered away from the garden and back toward the house.

He chuckled, draping his arm over her shoulders and carrying the tools for her like the gentleman he truly was. "Yeah, yeah, but at least I see it now." He said.

"Thank God," she grinned, elbowing his side and then smiling when they approached the house she loved so much. "It's so good to be back."

Kyo nodded and squeezed her arm, smiling. "Yeah, it is. Until, you know, that damn Yuki gets back."

"Kyo!"

-:-:-:-:-:-

So, I promise I'm still alive. I do have to apologize for not getting this up sooner. In fact, I just finished it like two minutes ago. Anyway, I'm freaking exhausted, guys. I got three weeks off from school (which is where this story started), and then we started the summer session. Holy crap, who the hell thought a ceramics class would drag on for like 10 weeks and have so much freaking work? Not to mention the history class we're in with its 15 quizzes and 19+ assignments and discussion posts. BULL.

I'm trying hard to get back into writing, btu I have so much on my plate right now it's insane. I'm working almost every day, I'm busting ass at home, I'm doing a shit-ton of homework and working on my projects to send to my friends in Japan (it's present time!). I'm just beaten down, man. I want so much to continue this fic, and thank you guys for being so supportive of me throughout it. I'll try to work hard to keep it going again, but I can't promise you'll have a quick update.

Also, forgive me for the complete POINTLESSNESS of this chapter. It's utterly ridiculous.


	8. OH LOOK, ANOTHER UPDATE!

Hey, guys, I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive! Haha I know I've been gone for such a long time with the promise to update, so please forgive me. As most of you know (if I've said so in previous update posts—I can't recall because I'm so exhausted lol)…I was in nursing school from September up until…yesterday! AHHHHHHH. I finished nursing school!

It's definitely a weird feeling to be able to say that I've completed nursing school, to know that I'll never have to freak out over nursing exams (except the NCLEX which I've yet to take and will after I complete my senior practicum in the coming three weeks, etc.). Looking back, I have very fond memories of the people I met and the friends I'll keep. I do have memories of those I couldn't stand (and won't ever be able to stand), and I've realized you meet quite a vast diversity of people in such a program. You learn how to really bitch it up when you need to! LOL.

Anyway…I just wanted you to know that I truly do appreciate how you have stuck around waiting for an update and waiting for the story to progress (those of you that have…I don't know if anyone's dropped off? LOL). So I wanted to inform you that _I will be continuing "Daydreams."_ It hasn't died yet, and it hasn't ended. There's still more I want to do with it, even though I don't exactly know what the plot of the story is just yet…ah….well. Anyway, that's what I wanted to let you know.

I have definitely decided to continue the story, and I'm hoping to pick it back up with a new chapter in the next few weeks. We'll have to see, though, as I have a convention to attend this weekend, and after that I'm going into nightshift in the ICU! Intensive Care, here I come! D Oh Jesus, be with this poor, crazy ex-nursing student!

Haha, really, guys, thank you. You're continued support has been nice, to see the periodic favorite come through in my email and whatnot. I'm excited to get back to "Daydreams," and I hope you're just as excited for more updates.

All my love,

Joline~

P.s. if any of my readers are also nursing students, here's a word of advice: just believe in yourself. YOU CAN DO IT. You're going to get angry, get upset, get hurt, and cry, but it's all worth it in the end. It's a profession that only so many are able to enter. We are joining a part of an elite crew of people. I was given my RN necklace by my mother, also a nurse, on the day of my final exam. You will do this. You will get through this. If I did it, you can, too.

And if any of my readers aren't nursing students, I believe you guys can do what you want to. Just put your mind to it and believe in yourself! :D


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